If you’re bored…read about the Large Hadron Collider

Read this article. There are many reasons I have posted a link to this article. It is remarkable in the true meaning of the word: worthy of comment. And so, here are some of my remarks:

This is somewhat scary – that a group of scientists are planning to put into operation some unbelievably expensive contraption that a few other scientists worry could suck the earth into a black hole. Why even take such a chance when the only upside would be identifying dark matter (then we couldn’t even wonder what “dark matter” is anymore…)

It’s hard to understand most of what is written in this article. I am both impressed that some people apparently have this knowledge while also being quite doubtful it is actual “knowledge”. I believe there is a strong chance this is just a giant group of tools who get together and say ‘scientific things’ and all they’ve really done here is create a giant “machine” that will light up here and there, make some threatening noises and maybe smoke every once in a while – kind of like the technology on the old Adam West Batman shows.

Considering scientists are people who pride themselves on existing in their own verbal universe (strangelets, quarks, protons, cosmic rays, micro black holes), it is surprising that they’ve settled on the name “Large Hadron Collider” for this machine. While the inclusion of “Hadron” properly gives it the desired scientific mystique, “Large” and “Collider” are quite uncreative. I think that perhaps $(%%)%@*&!^&iii…3 would be more appropriate.

While my temptation is to rip on those involved in this project and wonder what kind of lives their poor children must have, I find I have to stop myself due to the fact that the project, at a cost of 500 some billion $, likely shells out tons of cash to participating scientists. In fact, now instead of ripping on these people, I’m suddenly curious to explore ways I might be able to get involved.